Wall-box for electrical devices



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H. c. ANDREWS WALL BOX FOR ELEACRICAL DEVICES Filed Aug. 9, .1928

.f/g' 'i' July 21, 1931.

/Q TORNEI? Patented July 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY C.ANDREWS, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO KILLARK ELECTRIC MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURIWALL-BOX FOR ELECTRICAL DEVICES Application filed August 9, 1928. SerialNo. 298,561.

This invention relates generally to wallboxes for housing electricdevices and the like and, more particularly, to a certain new and usefulimprovement in means for attaching or securing the box upon a wall orother support. In the electrical art, wall boxes are commonly used toenclose and support switches, fuse blocks, or other electrical ap-,paratus and devices, and, so far as I am aware, screws, nails, or otherlike fastening members are usually passed through the rear wall of thebox only to atta-ch the box and its contained apparatus to thecontiguous supporting structure, usually a wall, partition, panel, orlike commonly vertically disposed structural member. Heretofore, thefasteners have been disposed in upper and lower groups for directbearing of one or the headend thereof against the rear wall of the box,in which construction the operative ends of the fasteners are located ina relatively inaccessible position behind the apparatus or devicescontained or housed in the box, with the result that considerable laboris required and considerable time is consumed in fastening the box inposition. Furthermore, since the box tends to pivot about the lowergroup of fasteners and impose a pulling effect or tension on the uppergroup of fasteners, in addition to the normal gripping tension, andsince also such fasteners commonly Contact only one bearing surface,that is to say, the rear wall of the box, the effect of suchconstruction is to impose a combined transverse and longitudinal shearat the junction of the head with the body of the fastener.

My present invention has hence for its prime object the provision on thebox of means, associated with an improved type of fastening-element, fordisposing the operative end of the latter near the front of the box in areadily accessible position.

My invention has for another object the provision on the. box ofaplurality of longitudinally spaced bearing members for the fasteningelements, whereby the weight of the box and its contents is intransverse shear on the body of the fastener, the head of the latterbeing thus subjected only to the tension or longitudinal shear incidentto securing the box to the wall.

My invention has for a further object the provision on the box of aframe or bracket receptively associated with the fastener and secured tothe side wall of the box in a simple, rigid manner, devoid of screws orthe like.

My invention has for a still further object the provision generally of awall-box of simple, compact structure, which may with convenicnce,speed, and economy be rigidly and securely fixed upon the wall or othersupport.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides inthe novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combinationof Darts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of a wall box embodying my invention, afragmentary portion of the cover of the box being shown in open positionand certain electrical fittings or apparatus being shown in illustrativecontained association with the box;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the box taken approximatelyalong the line 2*-2, Figure l; and

Figures 3 and 4 aie detail sectional views on, respectively, the lines 33 and 4 4, Figure l.

Referring now more particularly and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate a preferred form of my invention, Adesignates a wall-box having contained electrical apparatus, generallyindicated as B, which latter may embody any form or type of electricaldevice or devices customary in the art, though, for illustrativepurposes, there is shown a fuse block and a switch unit, both being wellknown in the art and not constituting a part of the present invention.Preferably the box A is of rectangular formation and includes a rearwall 1, end walls 2, 3, side walls 4, and a. hinged cover 5, allpreferably constructed of suitable sheet metal.v Preferably the sidewalls 4 are flanged integral continuations of rear wall l, the end walls2, 3, being flanged at their ends, as at 6, and set between and suitwithinturned ends or flanges providing lugs 8, 9, apertured in registrationor alignment, as at 10, for freely receiving the fastening element ordrivescrew D presently to be described. As so fixed to the box, thebracketstrips 7 are disposed flatwise against the oppositek side wallsd, with the lugs 8, 9, disposed against the outer or free margin of vtheside wall il@ and the rear wall 1, respectively, as shown; and struck infrom the side walls d and suitably located for gripping the respectiveframes C, are tongues or bendable fastening elements 11 each passed.through a suitably provided slot or opening 12 in the body-strip 7 ofthe frame C prefernear the outer end thereof, each such element ortongue 11 being crimped or bent over on its conjoined wall d to gri othe body- .strip 7 of the frame C securingly therebetween, as best seeninFigure 3, and thereby re-inforce the connection between the box A andits said supporting-brackets C. As best seen, however, in Figures 1 andil, some of rthe frames or bracket-s C may be disposed contiguous to'the inturned flanged portions of oneof vthe end walls 3, in which casethe tonguesk 11 -may be Vconveniently struck in from said flangedportions 6, as shown in Figure 4.

Preferably the inner lug or flange, as 9, offthe framefC rest upon therear wall 1 of the box A, although it is obvious that the lug or flange9 may be spaced from said wall 1 if desired, theV latter having ascrew-receiving aperture 1li alin-ed or registering with the apertures10 in the lugs 8, 9.

Having'a preferably fiat-tened operative head 15 `channelled orotherwise adapted for cooperation with a suitable driving tool forcontacting and bearing against the lug 8 of the frame C, is a fasteningelement or drive screw-D, having an elongated body-member ort shankportion 16 adapted to be passed through the alined apertures 10, 10, and14E,

and terminating in a preferably wood screw portion 17 for threadedengagement with a suitable supporting structure, as a wall 18 (Figures2, 3, and et). y

In the use of the box, the box A is suitably located on the wall 18, theseveral drive screws Dare disposed through their respective frames C asdescribed and hammered orA otherwise driven into said wall 18 andfinally screwed tightly therein to set the box A firmly and securely tothe wall. It may be stated here that the lug 8 of each frame C islocated a distance from the outer margin of the box A to permit the topof the head 15 of the screw D to finally come just inside of the planeof the open side of the box, where it is easily accessible. The bodyportion of the screw D is preferably coextensive with he depth of thebox, thus at the commencement of the driving` operation the head 15 maybe readily struck by hammer to initially drive the screw into the wall.It will be readily seen that the lugs 8, 9 form spaced bearingmembersfor the body of the screw D to sustain the box A thereon substantiallyin transverse shear only. Thus the brackets C not only convenientlyfacilitate and reduce the time and laborl required in the attachment ofthe bex A to its support, but also provide members adapted, incoloperation with the fastening elements D, for securing the box A withrigidity, firmness, and peruianency upon the supportingfstructure.

lVhile the frames C may bev employed in connection with bolts or likedevices, it is preferable to use fastening elements or drive screw D ashereinbefore described, the association of the frames C with thedrivescrews D forming a combination particularly adapted in removing thepresent ditliculties and in accomplishing the objects intended and setforth. v

lt is to be understood that changes in the form, construction,arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my new box and itssecuring means may be made and substituted for those herein shown anddescribed without departing from the nature and principle of myinvention.

f Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a fastening means for a wall-box, a fastening element having itssupport-engag-y ing end passed through the rear wall of 'the box and itshead end disposed adjacent to the plane of the open end of the box, incombination with a member including a body-porf tion contiguous to awall of the box having inturned end portions provided with aligningfastener-receiving apertures, one of said end portions being disposedfor bearing engagement with the head of said fastening element, andmeans incorporated with said boxwall bendable thereover for engagingsaid body-portion therebetween.

2. A fastening means for an electrical de-l vice wall-box comprising, incombination, a support-engaging 'fastening element havingr its headdisposed within and adjacent to and presented toward the open side ofthe box, said element being of a length to extend rearwardly of the boxand through the rear wall thereofinto the support, and means fixed toand disposed within the box adjacent the front thereof for sustainingthe box on the fastenin element.

3. A astening means for an electrical device Wall-box comprising, incombination, a support-engaging fastening element having its headdisposed Within and adjacent to and presented toward the open side ofthe box, said element being of a length to extend rear- Wardly of thebox and through the rear Wall thereof into the support, and meansineluding spaced bearings ixed to and disposed Within the box engagingthe fastening e1ement for sustaining the box thereon.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my nalne to this speciiication.

HARRY C. ANDREWS.

